Golden Triangle – Double Jointer

There’s something unusual about Golden Triangle’s mix of influences. It’s lo-fi, but it’s not. It’s 60s girl-group rock, but not quite. It’s got some of the “wall of sound” flavor to it without ever getting the amps to 11. Jesus & Mary Chain? Clinic? New Pornographers?

If it sounds like retro rock, it may have to do with the faraway vocals and the tambourine. The linear structures and simple beats give the guitars plenty of room to spiral and squeal (“The Arson Wells”) in what sounds like a cathedral’s grand room. The thrashy, garage sound never goes too far in any unknown direction (“I Want To Know,” “Jellyroll”) but that doesn’t mean the band has fully straightjacketed itself. “Neon Noose” pounds like old punk but sweetens the ruckus as always with detached female singing. The blues-based nature of the songs, whether in regard to verse-chorus-bridge progressions, note/chord choice, or raved-up finishes, isn’t ever given a break. The band’s album is on the Hardly Art imprint, so it’s not too surprising that the tracks cross Beat Happening with The Thermals.

The circus tones of “Blood and Arrow” might be tongue in cheek, but he fuzzed-out bass that opens “Rollercoaster” heralds an ominous undertone to much of what the band does. The brightest spot of this release comes in the form of the upbeat “Jinx,” where the band almost cracks a smile despite the subject matter. Even though the band comes from Brooklyn, the Sleater-Kinney vocalisms on “Jinx” only further Golden Triangle’s Seattle leanings.